Antiskid device and attachment therefor



NOV- 2, 1954 J. F. voN ESSEN NTISKID DEVICE AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Filed Nov. 3, 1952 Fig.

John F. Von Essen IN V EN TOR.

States ANTISKD DEVICE AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR The present invention relates to anti-skid devices, generally speaking, and has reference in particular to a device which is adapted to be applied as a sort of ice Creeper to a shoe, or one to each of both shoes, to enable the user to be assured of reliable traction on a slippery ice or snow-covered surface in a well-known manner during the act of walking.

As the preceding general statement of the invention clearly implies, ice-Creepers and anti-skid attachments for use on shoes are old and well-known. As a matter of fact, a construction which is quite similar to that herein revealed, is disclosed in a patent granted to me on February 19, 1952 identified as #2,586,749. in order to obtain the background reflecting the nature of the instant invention reference should be had to the stated patent which takes the form of an attachment characterized by a Hat, horizontal plate portion adapted to underlie and firmly contact the underside of the shank of the sole of the shoe, a depending right angularly disposed vertical plate portion integrated with and carried by a longitudinal edge portion of said horizontal plate portion and adapted to rest throughout its major area against the breast of the heel of said shoe, the entire lower edge of said vertical plate portion being sharpened and providing anti-skid means, a pair of downbent spaced parallel calks formed integral with and depending from the forward transverse edge portion of said horizontal plate portion and disposed at right angles to said Vertical plate portion, and means for harnessing said plate portions in their respective predetermined positions on said shoe, said means embodying a stirrup hingedly connected with said plate portion and a plurality of fastening straps permanently attached to said stirrup.

During the course of use of the anti-skid member covered in the stated patent, it has been found that the projecting edges orend portions of the aforementioned vertical plate or flange and the calks wear off and therefore lose their traction promoting facilities in a reasonably short time if subjected to fairly extensive use. Instead of discarding the attachment and in order to salvage the stirrup and ankle straps for prolonged use, it is contemplated that a repair attachment, broadly referred to as a refill may be satisfactorily adopted and used to in this manner economically restore the original attachment to a condition for extended use.

It is also an object of the invention to retain the original attachment means as long as it will last and to supply therewith several so-called repair attachments, whereby to greatly increase the usefulness of the original structure in a practical and an eliicient manner.

A further object of the invention is to improve upon the structure of the patent itself by changing the position of the stirrup and adjoining it to the calks and to, in this manner, more satisfactorily utilize the clamping and retaining forces of the stirrup and ankle straps which are associated therewith.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a fragmentary portion of a conventional shoe with the improved antiskid device applied and ready for use.

Figure 2. is a View in elevation and also fragmentary 2,693,040 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 in type which is based on Figure l and which shows how the repair attachment is utilized in conjunction with the worn-out plate unit of the over-all attachment.

Figure 3 is a view in section and elevation based on the assemblage seen in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view with the ankle strap omitted and showing the primary plate unit and the secondary repair plate unit parted, for clearness of illustration.

By way of introduction to the detailed description it seems advisable for the reader to make reference to the aforementioned Patent #2,586,749 and to compare the figures thereof'v with Figure l and this application due to the fact that the distinction which is now to be pointed out is by no means radical in extent or nature but is nevertheless highly important from the standpoint of manufacture, usefulness and especially the approved application of retentive forces in reference to the improved repair attachments herein revealed. The anti-skid unit is denoted here by the numeral 6 and the stirrup unit by the numeral 3. Unit 6 is characterized by a flat substantially horizontal plate lll which is made to underlie the shank l2 of the sole of the shoe 14. Incidentally, the heel of the shoe is denoted at 16. Plate l0 has a depending complemental plate portion or flange 18 which, in practice, rests firmly against the forward breast forming edge or surface of the shoe heel. The height of the flange is such that the lower anti-skid edge 20 depends below the bottom of the heel 16. On the transverse edges are depending members herein defined as anti-skid calks 22. These are at right angles to the flange and their lower cutting edges Zfiproject to a position coplanar with the edge means 2li. it will be noted in this connection that these lug-like calks are formed with bearing holes 26 to accommodate the horizontal rocker shaft portion 23 (see Figure 3) of the stirrup unit. The vertical arms of the unit are saddled around the shoe and are denoted by the numerals Bil and they terminate in eyes 32, which eyes serve to accommodate the forward and rearwardly disposed but cooperating ankleembracing and fastening straps 34 and 36. It will be clear, therefore, that the construction so far described is the same as that in the previous patent except that here the shaft portion of the sirrup is hinged to the calks instead of to special bearings provided therefor and located at the juncture of the horizontal and vertical plate portions in the stated patent.

It has been found that the projecting edge portions of flange 1S and calks 22 wear away and lose their effectiveness in an obvious manner. Instead of discarding the units 6 and 8 and the ankle straps, it is therefore the purpose and object here to provide a repair attachment which is also in the nature of a so-called refill or replacement unit 33. This unit is also sheetmetal and is a virtual replica of the unit 6. That is to say, it cornprises a horizontal plate portion 46 which in practice is superimposed on the plate portion 10 and therefore is interposed between the shank l2 and the plate portion 1li as brought out in Figures 2 and 3. There is a vertical plate portion or iiange 42 which is interposed between the flange 18 and the breast of the heel, this has an anti-skid edge i4 which comes into play when the attachment is applied. Here again, calks i6-0.16 are ernployed and these are slightly narrower than the much wider calks 22 and they, therefore, are placed in overlapping relation with the calks 22 and their lower projecting ends d8 provide the anti-skid functions. A fold or bend line is denoted at Sil and this serves to provide an adaptor or retaining hook 52. That is to say, after the metal is bent on the fold line the return bend defined thus produces a retaining hook which lits over the adjacent longitudinal edge of the plate portion 1l) as shown best in Figure 3. With the so-called origina device appearing in Figure l, several of the repair attachments or supplements 3S will be sold to function as service extending refills. lt will be evident, therefore, that novelty is predicated on the means appearing in Figure l as distinguished over the previous Patent #2,586,749, and that novelty resides in the combination therewith of the repair attachment as well as in the attachment by itself. The claim is directed accordingly.

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From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willv readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and de# scribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications. and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as. new` is as follows:

An anti-skid device for attachment to` a walking shoe comprising, in combination, a one-piece unit embodying a fiat horizontal plate portion adapted to underlie and firmly contact the underside of the shank ofthe sole of a shoe, a depending vertically disposedplate portion integrated with and carried by a longitudinal edge portion of said horizontal plate portion and adapted to rest throughout its major area against the breast of the heel of the stated shoe, a pair of' downbent spaced parallel lugs integral with and depending from the forward transverse edge portions of said horizontal plate portion and disposed at right angles to said vertical plate portion, said lugs having oppositely aligned apertures providing bearing holes, a U-shaped stirrup having a rocker shaft portion mounted for oscillation in said bearing holes and having arm portions terminating in eyes to accommodate ankle encircling and retaining straps, and a readily attachable and detachable anti-skid unit embodying a horizontal plate portion removably superimposed atop the first named horizontal plate portion and having an adapter hook along one longitudinal edge engageable with a complemental longitudinal edge of, said first named horizontal plate portion and having a flange depending from the opposite longitudinal edge and overlapping the exterior surface of said vertical plate portion and having its lower edge depending to a` position below the lower edge ofV said vertical plate portion and also having calks at its respective transverse ends bearing directly against the exterior surfaces of and overlapping and cooperating with said lugs and of a length greater than the length of said lugs.

References Cited in the4 tile lof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,277,135 Schemel Aug- 27', 1918 2,586,749 Von Essen Feb. 19r 119152 

